If I cared More for Me AND Footprints in the Sand

If I cared for one brief moment
About myself, more than I do for others
Do you think I would realise the magnificence
Of the unique being, that God has created me to be?

If I cared for one brief moment
For myself
More than I do for the world at large
Where the tears of my existence
Are wept into pool of frustration’s palm
And my heart bleeds for the homeless, the infirmed,
The lost,
Gathering life’s painful treasures to my bosom
As if of value

When in all trueness, I should be leaving these embers
Of pain at the doorstep of God's house, leaning on my faith to sustain me
In order for change and transformation to occur?

If I cared for one brief moment
For myself
More than I do for you, my love
My children, my family
Do you think I would be able to give more
To those closest and dearest to me
In quality and not quantity of time?
Yes, I would because………as it says in Footprints in the Sand......

Esther Austin© All Rights Reserved 9th October 2007




FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”


Mary Stevenson
Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, All rights reserved

How do I want to be Loved?

In order to love well and unconditionally, one must be true to oneself
So that this love can come from the well of
Pure and unadulterated abundance of giving
It has been said that the deeper we love, the more likely we are to be hurt
deeply –
But indeed I would rather love deeply and with an intensity
(Than to never love at all)
That I would feel as if my heart would burst
And where I am filled by something more than just
The sweet gurgle and gushing of love’s drama
and engaging in the flutter of the heart and eyes
Love to me is so much more


And I would rather never love at all
If only I were to be held in the momentary comfort of someone’s arms
Whose only quest is sexual gratification and a couple of
Empty phone calls whenever the mood suits
For me, love and all it’s wonderful accomplices
Such as lust, desire, a spiritual and sexual union
Companionship, friendship, intimacy - soul-mates on a journey
Of togetherness
are all to be revered and treasured and guarded most preciously
that’s what I want for my love

Presently, many of us are not all that we seem to be

Presently, many of us are not all that we seem to be
Caught up amid life’s copious complexities
We become shrouded like treacherous dark green algae
Which in a clear blue pond which simmers with the
basics of goodness
can often become hidden beneath the algae’s weight
Covering up the simple yet wonderful basics qualities
of life’s wonderful and abundant basket


Presently, therefore, we are certainly not all
That we seem to be
We often front life, like the cover on a book
Skimming the surface of time’s precious moments
Wearers of masks, not in celebration or jest or play
But masquerading as entities, otherwise not
Recognised by those around us
And often, in times of depth of thought,
We too, fail to recognise even our own shadow
Constantly hiding and submerging our true identities
Into the murky depths of that dark, green algae


Yet in order for the awareness of who we are to begin
We must first address the issue of recognition and
The awareness that we are indeed, hiding from our own selves
And the need to stand firm and tall and look into the mirror of our lives
Honestly, bravely, sometimes even fearfully
Can only lead us, further away from the superficial
taking us into the comforting and liberating
Tunnel of truth and light, where we can indulge in the
Knowledge that we need not to hide anymore
And therefore embark on a journey of true self-discovery


For the journey of life
Is an amazing kaleidoscope
Of the good and the bad, achievements and challenges
Yet, along the way, there will be times
When we will be faced with the task
Of looking inward, and sometimes looking outward
Yet the beauty of life’s challenges is that
We can always do something about our circumstances
For privileges that are afforded to us are
That we have the liberty to
Change, to renew and grow


So if you must face that mirror
Face it with a dignity and pride
In the knowing that for you
A positive change will come

Esther Austinã All Rights Reserved 2 October 2007

Some Personal Favourite Quotes about Love

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”


“Love isn't finding a perfect person. It's seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”
Sam Keen quotes


“I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.”
Roy Croft quotes


"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.”
lizzie15635


“Love is when you shed a tear and still want him, it's when he ignores you and you still love him, it's when he loves another girl but you still smile and say I'm happy for you, when all you really do is cry.”